Dag Haarstad at Midt Norsk Skogrydding AS has been operating a Valtra for almost ten years. He feels that the tractor is best fit and best equipped for work in the forest. In addition to the revolving seat and a spacious cabin, he mentions the glass roof and the extra protection around the fuel tank as good features.

“I was an engineer on a ship and a seaman, but I helped my father more and more in the forest. So about ten years ago I decided to focus on clearing trees, and I founded my own company Midt Norsk Skogrydding AS. There are now three of us, and we have a 2017-model Valtra T214 Direct and a 2012-model Valtra T191 HiTech”, says Dag Haarstad.

He lives in Selbu, but the company is based in Trondheim. Midt-Norsk Skogrydding specializes in clearing trees along roads, railway lines and power lines. Their contracts include contracts with Statens Vegvesen Midtre Gauldal, Mesta Ytre Trondheim and Mesta Selbu Malvik Klæbu.

“We work in quite a large geographical area and in addition to the contracts we also do a lot of work clearing for municipalities and others.

Clear the way

The newest tractor, a Valtra T214 Direct from Akershus Traktor Stjørdal, is equipped with a Kesla 700T crane from Valtra Unlimited. They have specialized in customizing Kesla forest equipment.
“The tractor has a chipper for clearing roads and building sites, and the crane is used to feed the chipper on the side of the tractor.”

Both Valtra tractors are equipped for work in the forest. Among other things they have a complete forest cabin with a glass roof, customized for operating in dense forest with necessary shielding and glass that can withstand an impact. There is extra protection around the fuel tank and it is equipped with a customized crane mount that the Kesla crane sits on. The crane control is mounted on the tractor's armrest.

“I am especially happy about the protection. I knew it wasn’t included, and today you seldom get more than expected when you buy a machine”, says Haarstad.

Comfortable work

The days can be long for a contractor. So comfort and efficient equipment is important. The Valtra T Series combines a compact design with lots of power and a spacious cabin.The days can be long for a contractor. So comfort and efficient equipment is important. The Valtra T Series combines a compact design with lots of power and a spacious cabin.

“Valtra is easy to operate and we are very satisfied. The Direct joystick works well for manoeuvring. The rotational seat is standard, in other brand this is extra. I had a Valtra T170 with a crane, and it was very good. The T191 has been in operation for 7000 hours without any problems, and the service that Akershus Tractor provides has also never been a problem. We will most likely be looking for another Valtra in the future”, say Dag Haarstad at Midt Norsk Skogrydding AS.